Walk in it

And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us. Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us. (I John 3:23-24)

We must believe - there is no other way into a restored relationship with God the Father than through Jesus Christ, his Son. This truth sometimes gets a little tweaked in religious circles - wanting to add some manner of 'works' to the simple belief God requires of us. No amount of us 'doing' will ever measure up to what Christ has already done. Simply believe that Jesus is the Son of God, died on the cross to make us free from the guilt and shame of our sin, and stop adding to the simplicity of grace. Grace is given, never earned. It is based on a finished work - that of Jesus and not on what we will ever be able to do in 'addition' to what has already been done.

Love one another - another very pointed command involves us living at peace with each other, giving of ourselves to one another, and removing the 'obligation' to love us in return. Those who do not have this deep, growing relationship with Jesus have a great deal of difficulty loving in such a manner. Why? There are strings attached to their love. They want something in return. Love as though you have received everything you need in Christ Jesus because you have! We cannot receive more than we have already been given - all we need is found in Christ Jesus. When we love one another, we are just sharing bits and pieces of his grace, goodness, and kindness that has been extended to us.

Remain in fellowship with him - engaging in an ongoing, continually growing relationship with him. As we do, we find loving one another is a 'natural offshoot' of having experienced his tremendous love. Relationship is always a two-way street. We don't just talk to God; we listen to him. We don't just receive from God; we share what we have received. We don't just get to keep; we receive to give out until other lives are overflowing with his grace and love just like ours. Those who 'remain' in fellowship have a special privilege - the Spirit of God lives within them. We no longer 'walk out' our salvation alone because we have God's Spirit to guide our choices and influence our actions. Believe, love, remain - three very specific actions on our part. God's grace and love backs each of these very specific actions. All we do is walk in that grace and love. Just sayin!

Ballsy People

Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken away.” And Elisha replied, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit and become your successor.” “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah replied. “If you see me when I am taken from you, then you will get your request. But if not, then you won’t.” As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove between the two men, separating them, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father! My father! I see the chariots and charioteers of Israel!” And as they disappeared from sight, Elisha tore his clothes in distress. (2 Kings 2:9-12)

Have you the faith to ask the difficult things? Some might see Elisha's request as 'ballsy' - maybe even a little 'prideful' since he asked for a 'double portion' of the faith and power Elijah had exhibited while he was alive. Sometimes 'ballsy' individuals put others off - their simple faith and trust in God making them a little uncomfortable. That's okay because 'ballsy' people aren't afraid to ask God for what is needed, when it is needed, for whom it is needed!

Later on, Elisha would stretch himself out on a dead boy and ask God to restore his life. He would petition with all his heart and trust God to do the rest. He would see the cruse of oil in the widow's house multiplied time and time again. He would see hungry people around him and tell the woman offering twenty loaves of bread and a sack of grain to feed all one hundred of them. She'd question the 'sanity' of that request, but there were leftovers to be enjoyed! Ballsy people ask for the impossible because they know God is the one who is able to do what we see as 'impossible' or 'improbable'.

Ballsy people ask not only for 'one share' of faith, but a 'double share'. They aren't afraid to ask God to make them instruments he can use and to give them his 'backing' as they go forth in service to him. As difficult as it may be to imagine God giving greater faith and trust in his power, ballsy people ask! Why? They know their God and they trust him to be there in them, working through them, meeting the needs of a people who need to come to know him, as well. Elisha wasn't intimidated by the impossible - he knew the God of the impossible and trusted him to be there whenever the need arose. How about us? Do we trust God enough to be 'ballsy' in our faith? If not, maybe it is time we ask God for that 'double portion' and see what he will do. Just sayin!

A Thomas Moment

“You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.” (John 20:29) You believe - not because you were compelled to believe - but because you hungered enough to know the truth and be set free by it. Do we believe because we see, or is it because we have heard? Are we the type of people who demand a sign and then another just to confirm what we have heard is true? It never ceases to amaze me that God knows the weakness of our spirit and the questioning of our mind. Here is the most amazing truth - he meets us right where we are. 

Thomas happened to be absent the night Jesus appeared to the disciples following the resurrection. When we was told about his appearance, he had a hard time accepting their 'testimony' of what they saw. In fact, he told them he needed the ultimate proof - being able to touch his pierced hands and side. Eight days later, gathered together in a locked room, Jesus gives him the opportunity. In those eight days, I wonder what Thomas was thinking about. Could it have been that he was pondering all the miracles he had seen while Jesus was present with them? Could he have been going over how each 'sign' prophesied had been somehow fulfilled? We don't know what was going through his mind, but we are given a glimps into what was transpiring in his heart.

Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!” “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed. (vs. 27-28) Don't be faithless any longer - believe. We are given a little insight into the heart of Thomas - he wasn't fully a believer, in spite of having seen and heard first-hand. No wonder Jesus told him those who believe without the advantage of having seen the miracles, signs and wonders are truly a blessed bunch of people! Peter denied him three times before his crucifixion - yet Jesus knew his heart and restored him to right relationship. Thomas didn't really 'get it' - yet Jesus specifically made a way for him to come to assured faith.

We may think there is no hope for some who have heard time and time again or seen the many astounding things God has done around them and even in their own lives, and still don't come to faith in Jesus. Nothing could be further from the truth - for where God reveals himself there is always the potential of grace doing its work. Let God be on display for those who will see. Let his Word be on your lips for those who will hear. If they don't believe because they see or hear the first time, keep on. You never know when their 'Thomas moment' may come! Just sayin!

Our mission

I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth. (John 17:14-19)

Be assured the hatred flung upon believers is not 'ill-placed' - they are just showing their rejection of Christ and his provided way into right relationship with his Father. Jesus could have taken all who believed out of this world with him when he ascended into heaven, but their work was only beginning. Although they no longer conformed to the ways and customs of the world, they were 'left behind' to carry forth this message of hope and restoration. Instead of taking us out of the world, Christ asks us to spread hope - knowing that his Father will keep each of us safe under his watchful care.

How is it we become ambassadors of Christ's message to this world? The most important thing after saying 'yes' to Jesus is that we allow his Word to 'get inside of us' so it begins the work of making us holy. We receive all we need for right relationship with God when we say 'yes' to Jesus, but then there is this transformational process of laying down the ways of this world and taking up the holiness provided to us in God's grace. This 'exchange' process is actually something that the world observes, making the 'preaching' of the message of hope really more about how we live out our salvation in our daily lives.

Jesus' sacrifice might have saved from the fires of hell, but the more we embrace that truth, the more we find ourselves desiring less of this world's ways and more holiness, right-living, and peace to be part of it. That might seem strange - being 'delivered from' but still 'living in' this world - but there are a good many around each of us who have yet to experience the power of truth in their own lives. We 'live in' because we are to be messengers of this truth - ambassadors of truth. The Word of God is powerful - it transforms us because of that power. When Jesus left this earth, he left behind his Word. Why? So many more could receive truth and enter into his peace. 

We might think we are ill-equipped for our mission, but Jesus did one thing that day so long ago that some of us miss. He asked his Father to give us everything we would need to 'live in' this world without becoming 'like' this world. Truth keeps us 'fit' for the Kingdom of God. The more truth gets into our lives, the more 'transformed' our lives become. Our actions begin to reflect grace. Our attitude reflects peace. Our hope is eternal and not temporal. Our insight is not opinion, but it is reality (truth). Our mission - share truth with those who have not seen the power of truth yet. Just sayin!

Too comfortable?

Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen. But some went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. Then the leading priests and Pharisees called the high council together. “What are we going to do?” they asked each other. “This man certainly performs many miraculous signs. If we allow him to go on like this, soon everyone will believe in him. Then the Roman army will come and destroy both our Temple and our nation.” Caiaphas, who was high priest at that time, said, “You don’t know what you’re talking about! You don’t realize that it’s better for you that one man should die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed.” (John 11:45-50)

A couple of things really stood out to me after reading the account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. Lazarus came out of the grave, after being dead a good couple of days, wrapped completely in grave clothes (hands and feet bound, face wrapped in a headcloth). There before the crowds stood a 'dead man' alive again, needing their assistance to be free of the shrouds of death that encompassed his body. Even with such a magnificent display of the power and grace of God, only some of the people believed in Jesus. Others were nothing more than worrisome tattletales. How many 'good things' need to happen right in front of us in order for us to believe? How many times are we so caught up in the worries of the day that we don't realize the presence of grace when it is right there in our midst?

As the story moves on, we see a group hurrying to the high council of the church. They were intent on 'telling on Jesus', not so much to convince the elders to take a positive stance toward Jesus, but to shut down his teaching and actions as a 'threat' to their way of life. They were more worried that the Roman government would catch wind of the great miracles, Jesus claiming to be the Son of God, and that the Romans would come into their towns with destructive force in order to 'shut down' Jesus. There is no 'shutting down' Jesus - but they don't know that! They just worry about their own circumstances - how their lives might be disrupted or made a little 'harder' in light of all the good stuff Jesus was doing amongst them. What a silly lot they were - seeing only their own comfort and missing that Jesus wasn't there to overthrow the Roman government, but to be a light and a way back to their Heavenly Father.

What makes the difference in us seeing and believing versus us seeing and being threatened? I might propose that when our 'comfort' becomes a little 'threatened' by any movement of God toward us, we have become way to comfortable with this world! We might not realize just how 'comfortable' we have become with the things this world offers us until we are faced with the amazing power of God. When his power is displayed, we can run to the world or press in closer to him. The graveclothes had to be removed in order for Lazarus to be free. Will we be the kind who stands and watches, or will we be the ones to unbind them? If we are comfortable with the world, we likely will be repelled by the 'stench' of death, choosing to allow others to do that 'dirty work'. 

Many believed - not all. Some still could not see their way past their 'concerns' and 'dreaded consequences' to embrace him. Let us not be the ones who find ourselves so caught up in our 'concerns' that we miss the opportunity to engage with grace. Just sayin!

A two day delay

The story of Lazarus is one of those 'memorable moments' we see throughout scripture. Jesus' friend, taken by some form of illness, and his sisters beckon Jesus to come to him so he can be healed. Two days pass before Jesus even begins the journey back to Judea to be with Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. Two days! If I was waiting for my brother's healing, knowing Jesus was 'dilly-dallying' in his response to my request, I might get a little miffed about the delay - especially when the delay ended in my brother's death! How many times do we find ourselves in a place where there is a tremendous need like this one, asking Jesus to come quickly, but realizing there will be a 'delay' in what we hoped to happen? If you heard, "Hey, just chill, I am coming, but just not right now," how would that make you feel? My trust would be tested to the max - how about yours?

A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick. So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.” But when Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.” So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, he stayed where he was for the next two days. Finally, he said to his disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea.” (John 11:1-7)

We can send all kinds of prayer upward, only to hear the answer that it isn't the right timing yet. When we encounter the 'delay', we can oftentimes begin to grumble and complain about the 'wait'. Imagine the two sisters, one kind of 'trusting' and the other kind of 'wavering'. We might just find ourselves getting a bit too close to 'doubt' when the delay seems to be taking us toward an outcome we never wanted to occur. We don't 'want' to doubt, but there is something in what we perceive to be 'unnecessary delays' that can lead us into a place of 'tested faith'. I don't know the reason for the delay when these sisters made such a deliberate and concise plea for Jesus' help, but we know this was going to be one of those 'teachable moments' for not only the sisters, but his disciples and the crowd of mourners who were on the scene that week!

What teachable moment has God given you when you least wanted it? Most of these moments aren't something we 'prepare' for - they happen when we least expected them and in ways we least expected. Two days may not seem like a long time to get an answer, but when the delay seems to present something we didn't want to have happen, we can get pretty disappointed, huh? Death ensued in those two days - a burial had been arranged and now it appeared to be 'too late' for what they had hoped to see happen. Healing was now 'impossible', but resurrection wasn't! Could it be that Jesus wants to bring a bit of 'new life' to us today? 

Could the delay in our answer be because he is about to bring forth something within us that we never imagined possible? We might want to complain, get angry, or mourn for whatever is lost, but if you read on in this story, you will see that Jesus actually gets to Judea, albeit late by what they expected, and he 'stays outside the city'. He didn't even go to their house! Do you know what happened? Martha went to where he was. Some of us see the delay and stay put. Others will get up, find our way to Jesus, and meet him where he is - how about you? The delay isn't meant to discourage us - it is meant to help us seek Jesus - to get out of our places of comfort and to meet him where he is. Just sayin!

Freedom is never partial

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” “But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, ‘You will be set free’?” Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. (John 8:31-36)

Remain faithful to his teachings - then you will know the truth that truly sets you free. We might say freedom is just a bit conditional - it requires faithfulness to the teachings of Christ. Sometimes we trust in all kinds of 'other things' to help us 'live free', but religious pursuit without right relationship with God is just a pursuit without a proper aim. What things are you a slave to today? What beliefs hold you back from really pursuing God as you should? When we begin to explore the answers to those two things, we might just begin to see how 'bound' we really are - like slaves.

Truth has a way of setting us free, but we must desire freedom. For a very long time, I struggled with very negative thoughts about myself. I didn't see myself as 'worth much', so I never really thought others could see me any differently. Somewhere in my early twenties, God showed me the truth - that I was lovely in his eyes, and that my 'value' or 'worth' was not anything close to what I had set myself up to believe. In fact, it was much greater than I had told myself repeatedly all those years. The moment I began to trust God to reveal my 'true value', the journey toward really being free happened. 

Some of us latch onto things others have declared to us to be 'truth', but we never 'test the truth' to see if it really matches what God says about the matter. We just go on believing a lie because we don't put forth the effort to discover the truth. Jesus told his followers they had to 'remain faithful' to his teachings. That meant they had to apply themselves to not only hearing them but getting them into their hearts and minds so they could affect the way they lived. Truth should affect choices - it also affects perceptions. What we perceive about ourselves, and others is oftentimes incorrect. We need that 'perception' to be set right.

When we begin to embrace what God says about us, we begin a journey from slavery into freedom. It is not a freedom to do as we please, but to begin to do what pleases him. In so doing, we find ourselves not 'doing' because we are told to do something, but 'doing' because we genuinely know that in 'doing' we find absolute freedom and purpose. The slave 'does' because he is told to, but the free man 'does' because he wants to. Begin to get God's word into your mind and see if it doesn't begin to affect your heart. Once it does, your actions will be transformed. We are set free to live free - not partially, but totally. Just sayin!

Listen and Believe

Are you able to listen when there are multiple distractions? I have difficulties 'filtering' out sound, conversations, or music lyrics when I am really trying to concentrate. I was never one of those students who could study with the most popular band's music blaring from the stereo in the background. I also know I don't do well where there are multiple distractions. My desk faces the wall, not the window. My computer desk is free of papers and the like because it would just distract me during my quiet time each morning. When I travel, I find a quiet spot, take my coffee and sit a while with God, listening as he shows me things in the scripture. Remove the distractions and we might just find ourselves able to 'listen to the message' God wants to bring into our lives today.

“I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life. “And I assure you that the time is coming, indeed it’s here now, when the dead will hear my voice—the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live. (John 5:24-25)

Listen and believe - both are active components of faith. We cannot have one without the other. When we actually do all we can to eliminate the barriers to listening, we might just find that God has been saying something to us all along that we have been missing because of all the 'noise' the world places in our way. As Jesus is facing the criticism of the religious leaders, he is also aware there are some in the crowd, his disciples included, who are willing to 'press past' the distractions of the 'loud critics' to hear the truth. We need to be willing to be like those who 'listened and believed' that day. As Jesus said, we can be assured we will find life when we listen.

Whoever imagined that life was linked to listening? We might not always want to listen, but in hearing what he says we make a choice to live. Hearing is the beginning of faith - it plants a seed of hope that begins to take hold the more we listen and obey. Jesus isn't just calling for his children - he is imploring them to turn away from the distracting criticism of those who do nothing more than put up roadblocks in their path. Distractions will always be there in this life, but when we do the best we can to manage them, God will help us lay hold of the things he desires for us. We must listen and believe - allowing what we hear to remove all our doubts. In the face of doubts and criticism, don't give into those 'distracting forces'. Press into God and listen. What he says next may just set your free to live in a whole new way. Just sayin!

Do you need more trust?

 Oh, what a wonderful God we have! How great are his wisdom and knowledge and riches! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his methods! For who among us can know the mind of the Lord? Who knows enough to be his counselor and guide? And who could ever offer to the Lord enough to induce him to act? For everything comes from God alone. Everything lives by his power, and everything is for his glory. To him be glory evermore. (Romans 11:33-36)

When was the last time you stopped to consider the awesomeness of God's protection and intensely focused care over your lives? If it has been a while, today could be a great day to just 'stop' and 'ponder'. There is nothing we do that 'induces' him to act - there is nothing we do to 'keep things in motion' within our lives. All that exists within our lives is the direct result of his overwhelming love and care for us.

We partake of his wisdom - through the study of his Word and the excellence of solid biblical teaching. We enter into the knowledge of God as we apply the Word and take each step of obedience. We are blessed to experience the riches of God -beginning with grace and continuing on with each physical, spiritual, emotional, and relational blessing we enjoy. We worship him for is goodness, celebrate him for his care over us, and exalt him for the many blessings we have received. 

Have you ever tried to 'induce' God to act on your behalf? Some might refer to this as 'bargaining' with him. We get a frightful bit of news, and we immediately tell God if he intervenes, we will do this or that. God isn't 'bargained' into blessing our lives. He asks us to bring our concerns, but he never asks for us to 'bargain' our way to the answer we desire. In fact, sometimes the answer we 'desire' isn't that answer we so desperately need to receive.

Everything draws breath from him. All exists because of him. If we truly believe this, why do we insist on this 'bargaining' relationship with him? Why do we insist there must be 'more' we need to do in order to receive his blessing? God has done it all in Christ. Perhaps what we need more of in our lives is trust. Just sayin!

As what her usual custom...

"Some things are so unexpected that no one is prepared for them." (Leo Rosten)

How is it we can have something so plainly before us and totally miss it? We aren't really looking? We aren't really interested? We think it couldn't be? We oftentimes 'miss' what God puts right before us. The woman at the well was there to draw water - do you think she was looking for the Messiah as she went to the well? Not likely - in fact, the Samaritan woman would have been condemned if her peers had of seen her actually talking with a Jewish man. We might not always see, but God can open our eyes so that we can comprehend what it is we are missing!

Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” The woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus told her, “I am the Messiah!” (John 4:21-26)

When he comes...

She didn't recognize him as the Messiah, but somehow, she knew there would be a Messiah from among the Jewish nation. Was she looking for him to come? She knew he would 'bring answers' - explaining things in a way so she could understand them - but was she really 'seeking' him? No one really knows, but she must have had at least a bit of faith to speak those words so clearly, suggesting she trusted that the Messiah would come.

What is it you are trusting God for today? Are you really looking for his intervention, or just 'hoping for' something to be 'different'? We can be 'hoping' for a long time if we are never really looking along with that hope. Seeking is part of faith - it isn't that we just believe something will happen - it is that we go about doing whatever God asks of us while we await that which is about to happen. 

She went to the well - drawing her water for the day. She made the journey, knowing it was her 'usual custom' to do so. Did she expect to meet the Messiah there? No, but she knew he was coming. She went about what she knew to do, all the while trusting in the hope of his coming. Perhaps what we need most is not more 'hope', but to just trust while we are going about our 'usual custom' of whatever it is God has tasked us to do. Just sayin!

A telescope, microscope, and horoscope

Watch out for people who try to dazzle you with big words and intellectual double-talk. They want to drag you off into endless arguments that never amount to anything. They spread their ideas through the empty traditions of human beings and the empty superstitions of spirit beings. But that’s not the way of Christ. Everything of God gets expressed in him, so you can see and hear him clearly. You don’t need a telescope, a microscope, or a horoscope to realize the fullness of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without him. When you come to him, that fullness comes together for you, too. His power extends over everything. (Colossians 2:9-10)

A telescope is used to make distant objects - sometimes quite far off from us - appear larger, so we think they are really closer than they are. The term 'telescope' can also be used to describe the placement of one slightly smaller object inside the other, allowing a larger object to be collapsed into a smaller space. Many people think God is so far off that he is not able to be reached. They feel the distance and try to contrive ways to bring him 'closer' without really changing their position. Isn't that the purpose of the telescope? It brings a far off object closer in appearance, but it never changes either the position of the person looking through it or the object of their focus, does it? It is sad to have to say this, but we cannot remain firmly footed in our sinful lives and expect a once a week visit to the local church to bring God closer to us. We never change our position - we just want it to appear that we have!

A microscope makes the most miniscule object appear to us - things that escape the naked eye or could not accurately be seen without the aid of the magnifying power of the lens. The sad fact is that most of us don't really 'see' God as he is - we don't fully appreciate him in all his power and passion. We get glimpses through is Word, but that is merely a microscope to describe what we need to come to experience ourselves. In high school I was introduced to the use of the microscope. We gathered up some pond water, added a few drops to a slide, then placed that slide under the lens of the scope. In short order we were gazing upon these little squirming 'lives' before us. What was so tiny so as to be totally missed otherwise was exposed under the lens. While I got to 'see' the tiny creatures, I never got to experience them. They didn't impact my life. God doesn't just desire to be 'known', he desires us to experience him. 

A horoscope is 'divined' by the use of a chart of the heavens, laying out the stars and planets, looking at certain 'positions' of these objects. I don't know about you, but we can make our minds believe almost anything if the things we 'hear' are something we want to hear. If we hear something contrary to what we want to hear, it can create fear or dread. The prediction of future events through the position of the stars and planets isn't how any of us should determine our behavior. Who created the stars and planets? If we can answer that affirmatively as "GOD", then why are we consulting the creation rather than the creator? God actually discouraged his creation (you and I) from using this type of 'prediction' (Deuteronomy 18:10-14; Isaiah 47:13; Micah 5:12). God ALONE knows the future - to attempt to divine the future through any other means than what is revealed by him to us through is Spirit, the Word of God, and biblical teaching is really dishonoring to God. Our behavior and actions are to align perfectly with his will revealed in his Word. 

God is there for our discovery - not through a telescope, microscope, or horoscope. He will require us to change our position - we draw near and he holds our his arms to welcome us in. He will reveal so much of himself that we won't be fearful we haven't experienced all he has to offer us. He won't allow us to bumble along without direction or purpose, but will open up our understanding and directed in our purpose. The only thing we need is a willing heart - say 'yes' to following Jesus and all the 'scopes' can be discarded. He is there for our discovery - plain and simple - experiencing the depth, breadth, and depth of his love and grace over and over again until we are overcome by it all. Just sayin!

The time is NOW

Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing. (Ephesians 2:7-10)

Here we are presented with the idea of comparing the "old" life we lived "before Christ" and the "new" life we now live "after Christ". Truth be told, the old way of life was stagnant - nothing good coming out of it. If you have ever tried to get clean in stagnant water, it leaves you feeling every bit as dirty as you did when you got into it! You might not realize it until you "dry out" a bit, but you 'is still dirty'! The "old way" of living as one of constantly "doing what we wanted to do". We pursued the stuff we wanted to pursue - not really conscious of how much it was polluting us even further. The new life is one of direct contrast - "dead lives", polluted beyond our ability to clean up, made new in Christ. This new life "puts us" in a new place - in the company of Jesus! Our "associations" changed the moment we came to Christ. We were taken from the place that "pollutes" into the place which not only promotes purity, but provides the means of purity! NOW. Why is it we miss these little words that can have such a significant impact? I think we just rush on past them because we don't pause long enough to consider them. "NOW" God has us where he wants us. It is not in the future we are finally where God wants us - you know, that day in eternity when we finally reach some form of "perfection" in our lives. Nope, it is NOW. It is for the PRESENT - not the past or the future, but NOW. 

Since God has us where he wants us - all by his actions on our behalf, I may add - he is free to do WITHIN us what he desires most. The thing he desires most is to shower us with his grace. NOW is the moment of GRACE. NOW is the day of his KINDNESS. This should cause us to pause in order to consider just how awesome it is to be exactly where God has placed us! He has us where he wants us in order to do what it is he wants to do within us! Now, you may not think this place or time in your life is "exactly where God wants you", but if we read this passage correctly we will see NO PLACE and NO TIME is without God's presence and purpose when we are brought into this new life with Christ! NOW is the time to TRUST. It is not the time to fret, or to try to figure out our way out of the mess of our past. It is the time to trust in the GRACE of the present. It is God's joy to have us in a place where his grace can permeate every fiber of our being - making us "feel" the way he SEES and has MADE us. It takes a while for our feelings to catch up with God's image of us, doesn't it? For a while we "feel" unworthy of his grace. We struggle with the "pollution" of our past - feeling shame for past wrong deeds, dealing with guilt over missed opportunities, and just not associating anything of worth within us that would "warrant" God's grace. This is the most amazing thing - GRACE is ALWAYS undeserved! It is our part to TRUST God with his GRACE.

NOW is the time to recognize God's purpose in moving us from our "polluted" old life into the "purity" of this new life. It is to be on mission with him! It is to allow him to do IN us what we could never do with any amount of effort on our own behalf. It is to transform us until GRACE becomes not only what is showered UPON us, but that which oozes out of us in every interaction with others in this life. NOW is the moment of allowing God's GRACE to to create within us what no amount of self-help can accomplish. This little word has purpose - it is to focus us on the possibilities of this very moment, of this very next breath, of our very next interaction. Couple NOW with GRACE and you will never be far from experiencing God's heart! I cannot tell you how many times EACH and every day I need to experience God's GRACE. The grace I allow to come within my life, creating in me the freshness and purity of his character within, will be that which is there to "give out" when the NOW produces challenges. God has all the time in THIS world and the NEXT to continue to shower us with his GRACE. For a moment, consider that we might continue to need his grace in the next day, week, month, or even into eternity! Did you see this when you read the passage? Or did you skip over it, too? God knows we will continue to need his grace throughout all of eternity - because we cannot possibly stand in his presence without it! What this tells me is that we are NEVER outside of the "NOW". Grace is not a thing of the past, or a mere hope of the future. It is a reality of the present. NOW is the moment of his grace. The next moment of his grace may come in your next breath - who knows? If we learn to live in the NOW, we will never be outside of his GRACE. Just sayin....

Abandoned obedience

 I remember being a 'new mom', reading all the books I could get my hands on in order to understand how the life within was taking form, what was happening to my body, and how to prepare for that 'big day' when she would make her debut in this big, big world. That was years ago now, but when I allow my mind to drift back to those times, I can recall some of the excitement combined with fear as we readied our home for her arrival. I'd have to admit, as much as I 'read up' on it all, I was really not prepared for those first few weeks without sleep, the long nights walking the floors, let alone the number of diaper changes, spit-ups that required clothing changes, or the inability to figure out what those cries meant! Trying to figure out all that stuff and get enough time to shower, squeeze in some much needed rest, and still find time to make meals, wash clothes, and clean the bathroom - it seemed as complex as it must be to obtain one's PhD!

Just as you’ll never understand the mystery of life forming in a pregnant woman, so you’ll never understand the mystery at work in all that God does. (Ecclesiastes 11:5)

The mystery of what God is doing 'in us' is sometimes as confusing and 'daunting' as being a 'new mom'. We think we can 'read up' on how he works and then we will have it all figured out, but let me burst your bubble on that one - I have been 'reading up' since the age of about 13 and in those 50 years, I still don't have him all 'figured out'! God just 'is' and that can be the hardest thing for some of us to wrap our heads around. We don't understand that he had no beginning, nor do we understand how he can have no end. He is. Our 'natural minds' can have a truly hard time trying to 'figure that one out'. How does someone exist before anything else existed? That must remain a mystery to me, I am afraid, but it doesn't dissuade me in my trust in the fact he exists!

Are there things you are trusting God for in your life? Do you understand how he will accomplish those things? Sure, you might think you have him figured out, knowing pretty much how he will 'do' whatever it is you need to have 'done', but do you really understand all that is behind what he is doing? If you get truthful here, you'd have to admit God does things and you have no idea he has even been at work! As hard as it is to understand his working within us, it can be equally as hard to understand his working within another. I have tried to figure out how he works in others in order to figure out how he goes about working in me and do you know what I figured out? He doesn't do it the same way in me!

The books I read that challenge me to consider God's best for my life are indeed excellently written and the experiences of the authors come across very well. The words may prompt me to take action and to even attempt to 'emulate' what they have done. I try to imitate their actions and hope the results will be equally as amazing. Let me just stop us there. Our 'imitated actions' are not what God is looking for. When we read the things that challenge us, God's greatest hope is that we will ask him how he can use those words to trigger or spark something within us that will begin to 'develop' something we need within our lives. It isn't that we will imitate those actions, expecting the same results. It is that we will trust him to take what we have gleaned and use those truths to bring us close enough to him to hear what he is about to do within us if we will just trust him with abandoned obedience.

I guess the main thing God needs from each of us more than anything else is the willingness to abandon what we think we have figured out and trust him with the very big stuff we really haven't even considered yet! Just sayin!

Borders hold us back

Van Gogh asked the question - "What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?" This is a good question to ponder today because so many times we 'think' about things we'd like to do, but then we discount the 'possibility' of us actually accomplishing it. Why? We might think we don't have the moxie to actually do whatever it is we are considering, or we don't have the time, funds, or talent. Either way, we limit ourselves to never take the next step - all because we lack some element of courage. 

“Be strong. Take courage. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t give them a second thought because God, your God, is striding ahead of you. He’s right there with you. He won’t let you down; he won’t leave you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

These are God's words - not mine. Be strong. Take courage. Don't be intimidated. Stop giving the things that seem to stand in your way a second chance. Why? God, YOUR God, has already gone before you to make a way and he will walk with you as you take those steps forward that you have always dreamed about. What does it mean to be intimidated? The most basic definition is to be filled with fear. What does fear do to us? It paralyzes us - it locks us in place so we are doing nothing more than marching in place!

Intimidation is a tactic our enemy uses to 'lock us in place' - to deter us from taking any action - or perhaps to make us feel forced into taking some other action in place of the one we know God is telling us to take. We 'cow' to what seems like insurmountable odds. God isn't put off by the enemy's bullying stance - in fact, he 'strides ahead of us' so as to make a way past all that bullying the enemy is using to intimidate us and hold us in a position of inaction.

I don't know what 'next step' you have been 'fearful' of taking - feeling a little intimidated by others or the 'insurmountable odds' that seemingly stand in the way of your success. God does and he isn't put off by the things we see as 'insurmountable'. He turns hopelessness into hopefulness. He makes what seems impassable into a wide open door. He looks beyond what we see as way too overwhelming and infuses us with a sense of faith and trust. Why? He loves us and wants only the best for us.

We say 'forget it', but he says 'trust me'. I know I put 'borders' to my trust on occasion - kind of hemming myself in by those artificial borders I have committed myself to live within. There are times God wants me to knock through those borders of 'mistrust' and let him show me just how much more he has made a way for me to experience in him if I will just trust him. How about you? Is God asking you to let down some of those 'borders' you have placed to keep you 'secure'? Maybe it is time we trust him with our 'lack of courage' and embrace his 'courage' to take the next steps. Just sayin!

Fired Up

Man is so made that when anything fires his soul, impossibilities vanish. (Jean de La Fontaine) Imagine all the impossibilities you envision before you today and then begin to see them vanishing right before your eyes. That huge pile of laundry that awaits your attention - poof, gone. The gigantic undertaking of cleaning out all the closets and drawers where everything just seems to get jumbled - poof, done. The deadline looming for this tough project at work - poof, finished. Impossibilities - we all seem to have them and we all seem to view them just a bit differently, don't we? How we 'view' our impossibilities actually is a result of the condition of our soul - where it is we have placed our trust to overcome those staggering hurdles in front of us.

For no word from God will ever fail. (Luke 1:37)

Imagine being barren - unable to bear a child in a culture where children were the crown upon a father's head and the delight of every mother. Imagine the turmoil deep within the emotions of seeing your friends and relatives multiply their families year after year, all while you remained childless. Imagine the 'secret talk' among those same friends and family as they looked upon you, believing somehow God must have 'judged' you as unworthy of a child - knowing there was some 'flaw' in your character (better known as sin), so he placed a judgment upon you of 'barrenness'. It wasn't uncommon back in the day to believe this way. What an impossibility it may have seemed to Elizabeth to ever be a mother.

Now imagine being Mary and hearing the words, "You are with child - in fact, you are in your sixth month - and your relative, Elizabeth, is also with child." How do you think that revelation would have hit Mary - knowing the barrenness of Elizabeth's womb had been the talk of the 'secret whisperers' for years? How do you think that would have 'hit' Elizabeth to find she was with child? My mind might have gone to how I noticed my dresses weren't fitting quite as well, how the belt that drew in the waist needed to be knotted just a bit looser than normal. I attribute it to the extra calories I seem to be packing away, hungry all the time and craving things that I normally didn't desire. Then it all makes sense - or does it? 

Mary was a virgin - Elizabeth was a married woman. It made sense that Elizabeth could be with child - miracles did happen, you know. To be with child as a betrothed woman, never having 'known' a man, now that didn't make sense! In her sixth month, a 'pledged woman', not yet married, but 'promised' to a good man in the community and she was pregnant - now that's a hurdle! If you can just put yourself in the moment of hearing that news, might you imagine your heart hitting rock bottom, fear entering in with waves and waves of overwhelming unbelief? I would have - not really sure what to make of all of it, but quickly going to the place in my mind where I would imagine the 'secret-whisperers' having new fodder for their gossip!

God amazes me as he allows some impossibilities to be set out in front of all of us - not because he wants to shame us or cause us great angst - but because he wants to show us how great his power is on our behalf. With God all things are possible. With God - not on our own. All things - not just some of them, but all of them. Are - not will be or might be. Possible - it can exist, it can happen, it is going to be done. With him, all things are possible. We face impossibilities each and every day - not because God wants us to be anxious or fearful, but because he wants us to learn to trust him, even when the impossibilities seem insurmountable. Not every impossibility is from him, but trust me on this one, every impossibility is nothing compared to his method of dealing with it! When the right thing 'fires' our soul, the impossibilities vanish. Just sayin!

Under God

Pushed to the wall, I called to God; from the wide open spaces, he answered. God’s now at my side and I’m not afraid; who would dare lay a hand on me? God’s my strong champion; I flick off my enemies like flies. Far better to take refuge in God than trust in people; Far better to take refuge in God than trust in celebrities. Hemmed in by barbarians, in God’s name I rubbed their faces in the dirt; Hemmed in and with no way out, in God’s name I rubbed their faces in the dirt; Like swarming bees, like wild prairie fire, they hemmed me in; in God’s name I rubbed their faces in the dirt. I was right on the cliff-edge, ready to fall, when God grabbed and held me. God’s my strength, he’s also my song, and now he’s my salvation. Hear the shouts, hear the triumph songs in the camp of the saved? “The hand of God has turned the tide! The hand of God is raised in victory! The hand of God has turned the tide!” (Psalm 118:5-6 MSG)

Sometimes I feel like I have been 'pushed to the wall' - pinned in, unable to move, kind of feeling a little helpless. It has been that way for a while with all this ups and downs in our country during this quite unsettling election year. I don't want to get 'political' today, but let me just say - God is in control, no matter the 'party' affiliation you proclaim - he hasn't lost control. It isn't a 'Republican' or 'Democratic' country we live in - it is ONE NATION UNDER GOD. Do you ever feel 'hemmed in' in your personal life, with little to no hope of ever breaking free of whatever has you right there in this moment? God hasn't lost control - never forget it is ONE LIFE UNDER GOD'S CONTROL. The bigger our 'dilemma' or 'life shattering issue' at the moment - the same answer applies - God has never lost control. It is indeed UNDER GOD that the walls will fall, the enemy will retreat, and the tide will turn within your life, your home, your career, and even within our nation!

I called to God - this is the crux of this passage. When we feel like we cannot possibly go on any longer, we don't just stop, sit down, and give up. We steel our spines, dig our feet in, and remember it is not over, it has only begun. Why? God isn't done! I remember someone telling me we never really see the light until it is quite dark around us at times. I live in a home that will emit some creaks and pops from time to time. You know when I hear them the most? In the darkness of night! Do you know when they can freak me out the most? In the darkness of night! Do you know what I do if I get freaked out? I turn on a light! Why? The light dispels the darkness. God isn't done in your circumstances today, my friends. He isn't capitulating to the enemy of your soul. He isn't going to let you just flounder and fail. Repeat this with me: I am ONE LIFE UNDER HIS CONTROL. 

Some of us are at the 'cliff's edge' right now, ready to fall, just barely balancing there. A strong gust of wind would be all it would take for us to lose our balance! God isn't going to let you fall - he will steady you right where you are, but he may call you back from the edge. He may also reach out and rescue you in the midst of the fall! The hand of God isn't 'ill-equipped' to rescue - we just need to recognize his hand is at work. You know that I pay attention to things repeated in scripture - if it was good enough to say it once, I listen, but if it was repeated time and time again - I sit up and take particular notice. It is meant for me to truly 'get' the lesson being taught when something is repeated. How did I learn my multiplication tables? I repeated 2x2 = 4, 2x3 = 6, and so on until I got it. 2 apples plus 2 apples gave me a bowl with 4 apples. 2 apples laid side by side 2 times gave me a fuller bowl! Pay attention to what God is saying.

We are his and he is ours. We have been redeemed, made whole, new breath placed within our lungs. Now, live as thought you are HIS. He is in control. He is what UNITES us in his family. He is what will UNITE us as a country. He is what UNITES because he has never lost control. God's purpose in our present pain? I am not sure, but I know this - he hasn't lost control. Just sayin!

Going all in

So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that’s coming when Jesus arrives. Don’t lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn’t know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, “I am holy; you be holy.” (I Peter 1:15-16)

We are faith-filled risk-takers intent on being holy as our God is holy. Does that describe you? We all come to Christ exactly as we are - none of us is better than any other person - all are able to be faith-filled risk-takers intent on being holy IN CHRIST JESUS. We receive this gift of 'new life' and almost without us realizing it, do you know what God does within us? He 'pulls us into a way of life shaped by god's life'. Now that should make all of us more than just a little bit hopeful, my friends. We have been given a gift we did not deserve, are filled with a faith we could never muster on our own, and we walk anew in a power not our own.

Our part - we put our minds in gear. In other words, we stop living a lazy, haphazard lives that are 'hit and miss' kind of existences. We begin to live purposeful lives that seek to put shame in the past where it belongs and enter into grace in the present because grace is what helps us be 'all in' with Jesus. You know what sets a believer apart? We are known what we stand FOR, not more than what we stand AGAINST. We stand for righteousness. We stand for purity. We stand for love and unity. We stand for hope. In reality, by what we stand FOR we are really standing AGAINST all those things that oppose those things!

With minds in gear, we learn to stand strong. We won't slip back into the darkest parts of our lives if we are engaging our minds in this walk. If we think we can walk 'mindlessly' in this Christian walk, think again. In fact, begin to think like you have never thought before! Faith-filled, risk-taking believers aren't afraid to allow Christ to fill their minds with the messages of hope and peace and joy that he wants to place within the 'walls' of our minds. He also wants to build up those walls with his Word so that we won't just 'mindlessly' entertain any old thought that comes along.

We are 'pulled into' a new life in Christ Jesus. It isn't all that easy for Christ to let go, so don't worry that his grip will slip! We aren't going to stumble and fall when we take risks with Jesus. When we step out in ways he asks us to step out, even when we don't feel like we know how or have the ability to 'go all in' he is there pulling us onward. How many times do we allow our minds talk our hearts out of doing what we know God is asking us to do? If we want to go all in with Christ this year, then our first step will be to begin to engage our minds in this walk like we never have before. Purposefully choosing to follow each step of the way. Just sayin!

Why fear?

Light, space, zest— that's God! So, with him on my side I'm fearless, afraid of no one and nothing. (Psalm 27:1)

Wow! Three simple words, but pretty all-inclusive of the character of God if you ask me! Light, space, and zest - what could he possibly have meant by using these words? We all have probably tried our best to describe God to someone at sometime in our lives. It is harder than you might think, isn't it? We launch out into some kind of lengthy explanation of what God does, how he moves among us, or even how he makes us feel. All the while, we are really struggling with giving anything truly "concrete" in our answer - we have an idea of how he 'acts', 'moves', and even how he makes us feel, but are we really describing God? What God declares about himself in this passage is simple and to the point! He is LIGHT, SPACE, and ZEST. 

Light - the very message we have heard from him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in him there is no darkness at all (I John 1:5 NIV). In him we find all glory and majesty - the two things that can be said to represent 'light'. No wonder scripture repeatedly refers to God as "light" - it is not something that is so much "in" him - it is that he is the perfect and purest LIGHT that exists. There is no darkness within him because he is holy and his absolute holiness reflects in the purest of Light. If we were to describe God's holiness, we could use 'light' and we'd be 'spot on' in our descriptor.

Space - John 4:24 tells us God is "Spirit". Perhaps this is the best way for us to understand just how he can be with everyone at one time, knowing all things, and being all powerful to boot. He transcends the limitations of our finite human nature, making it hard for us to comprehend God because he doesn't fit within 'space' - he is space itself. He is above all, in all, and creator of all. As such, he is like "space". Unlimited and totally uncalculated in greatness. Try as we might, we cannot "box" God in - he is not an equation - something we can sum up! He is not limited - therefore he is beyond explanation.

Zest - he gives liveliness to all he animates and that includes each of us. In him is the inherent ability to impart the truest form of energy - that which animates and gives abundant life to a lifeless or dead soul! Sin robs us of this "animation" of spirit - God's touch restores it! I guess we might describe God as a 'life giver', but also we could describe him as the very thing that gives life that 'oomph' we all need. No wonder David stands so assured when he considers the one who is "on his side" in his daily walk! The purest of the pure - able to push back all darkness. The limitless one - powerful beyond our calculation. The one full of life - imparting life with each passage of his breath over our lives! 

Afraid of no one and nothing! Why? We fear the dark, but it is time for us to recognize fully that God's light exposes what is hidden. We fear the unknown, but God's limitless supply of all things that we could ever need is ours. We fear death. but God's life is assured to those who actively choose him. Therefore, why fear? The Lord is my light and the One Who saves me. Whom should I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life. Of whom should I be afraid? (New Life Version) Whenever we are afraid, we are filled with apprehension, sometimes unknowingly giving into that apprehension even though we know better. When we describe ourselves as fearful, we are saying we are filled with a dread of the impending danger, evil, or pain we perceive is awaiting us.

The Lord is MY light - the one who saves ME. He is the "grip" we hold onto in the midst of impending doom - MY light, the one who saves ME. In the words of an old hymn: His eye may be on the sparrow, but he watches over ME! He is a personal God - he walks WITH us. In his carefulness over us, light dispels darkness, perceptions are enlarged, and we are reanimated again! No wonder David proclaims God as Light, Space and Zest - there is nothing quite so appropriate as those three words. Try as I might, I am at a loss to add anything else to those descriptors! Just sayin!

God - You Got This!

We all have moments when we feel overwhelmed by the task at hand. The possibilities of doing what it is we are called upon to do seem daunting and we just cannot possibly see how God could have plans for us in the moment. The Apostle Paul faced a little of this - knowing full well he was "schooled" in the Law of Moses, but not at all "schooled" in the message of grace. What he learned about grace he experienced the same as we all do - because the teacher embraced him with that grace! Back when Paul wrote his epistle to the Ephesian church, he admits to his absolute and overwhelming surprise at receiving grace. In fact, he says, "Hey! I now have a new life's work - helping others know what it is like to receive this surprise gift of grace!" Paul goes on to explain his absolute lack of "qualifications" to do what it is God has him doing - but God was handling all the details. Humbly, he admits he was the least "qualified" of any of the available Christians. Yet, in each new step he took in obedience to God, God saw to it that he was equipped and not relying on his natural abilities.

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. (Ephesians 3:20)

We frequently discount the possibilities when we compare our abilities to the weight of the task at hand. We see the mountain as too large! Scripture reminds us, "God can do anything!" I want to add, "With anything and anyone available to his use!" We might find it hard to "explain" grace, but we can demonstrate it through our life actions. We know full well an example speaks volumes more than words alone. "When we trust in him, we’re free to say whatever needs to be said, bold to go wherever we need to go." Free to say whatever needs to be said! Ever find yourself in a place where you know the exact thing that needs to be said, but you talk yourself out of it because you don't think the "hearer" will be open to receive it? Paul tells us when we trust in Christ, putting our every step in his care, we become free to speak what needs to be spoken. He is responsible for the "receiving" of the message, not us. Now, this doesn't mean that we just blurt out anything we "think" someone needs to hear, but when we feel the prompting of the Spirit of God within, we can stand assured God will "back up" our words! Bold to go where we need to go! Freedom and boldness are two tell-tale signs of the Spirit of God indwelling a believer. What is the means by which this freedom is experienced and this boldness becomes the foundation upon which we stand - it is in the Holy Spirit working WITHIN us. In Old Testament times, the Holy Spirit CAME UPON a man - not WITHIN. Christ's sacrifice made it possible for God to "indwell" mankind with his Spirit - grace providing the means to experiencing God's presence again as we were designed to experience it.

How exactly does the Holy Spirit operate in our lives? Some of us may think he comes with a heavy hand, strong-arming us into a position of submission. Indeed, it is exactly the opposite. He comes in the gentleness of grace. Ever try to be the Holy Spirit in someone else's life? You find yourself "demanding" or "insisting" they act a certain way because you know their life needs to change. How'd that work out for you? If you were like me, probably not too well. People resist being "strong-armed" into a position of obedience. Grace is the exact opposite of "strong-arming" - it is gentleness, meekness, long-suffering, peaceable, and loving. It embraces us when we our finally ready to be embraced. The Holy Spirit doesn't push us around - he is not a bully! He doesn't demand his own way, but yields to us until we are willing to yield to him. Don't get me wrong, he keeps "working within", but he doesn't clobber us with grace! He extends it to us - leaving it up to us to take it, or leave it. I have had many moments in time when I have said, "I don't want it!" Those times when my willful disobedience seemed more enjoyable and promising than any offered grace. Oh, what a sad state of events unfolded with those determined moments of resistance! The hope I can leave you with this morning is simply this: God's grace is there. His Holy Spirit is working WITHIN us - gently, peaceably, with all love and compassion. Grace resisted leaves us wanting. Grace embraced fills us to overflowing. We might push God away, but he never allows us to move so far away that we cannot turn into his embrace! Just sayin!

Well...maybe

Some of us don't really believe what we pray - almost as though we pray the words, but we don't honestly expect God to answer us! Why is that? I imagine some of us see God as we do our earthly parents - never really there for us, kind of on the fringes of our lives, needing more of our help than them giving us theirs. Others might just see God as the 'big man' in the sky, too busy to be bothered with our 'little' needs. I know there are others of us who simply pray 'big prayers', knowing in our heart of hearts that God answers prayers, but we somehow equate our prayer to something 'bigger' than what God may want to do on our behalf. Whatever the reason for wavering in our faith when it comes to expressing our heart to God in prayer, we need to get over it! God is listening, even when the answer isn't always as we might have imagine it to be!

If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves. Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open. (James 1:5-8)

The idea presented to us today is that when there is less of us, there is more of God - less of us always equates to an opportunity for God to reveal more of himself. No one is more blessed than the one that has allowed the presence of God to become central in their lives. The place of being at the "end of our rope" is the beginning place for God's presence to begin to affect us in ways it had not ever been able to before. It is there, at the end of our rope, that we find deep, connecting love. It is in the connection that the 'transition' is made between our lack of faith or trust and the knowledge that God's love is always working on our behalf.

In prayer, as in all the other areas of our lives, it is a matter of who is in control. The one in "control" is the one that must be relied upon for the outcome or solution. We have all probably been in a situation where we have seen the example of "trusting" someone to catch you when you fall backward or jump from a higher place. The use of this "technique" of trusting another to catch us is really designed to show us that in a team we are better than when we are alone. Yet, it is the idea that control is being given to the other person that often frightens most of us and keeps us from "taking the plunge" in the first place! None of us likes to lose control.

"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule." (Matthew 5:3)

We want to be "in control" of all avenues of our life. To "let go" of control suggests that we may get what we don't want, might suffer some loss, or might be somehow "misdirected" into something that will do us harm. So, we hold onto control. We have to control because we cannot trust. God's purpose in telling us that it as at the end of our rope that we enjoy the greatest freedom is because he knows that 'end of the rope place' is the place where we finally give up control! Praying for our needs to be met, then going out and meeting them on our own terms and by our own efforts is silliness. James knew that prayer that really mattered was prayer that revealed trust in the one who answers prayer - God himself. We often "think" we have prayed in a "trusting" manner - yet, the end-result of our prayer is that we are still doing it all ourselves! God is not honored by those types of prayers - those prayers where we "keep all our options open". 

God must be trusted and in order to reveal our trust, we have to allow him to be in control. Let's ask ourselves who is "really" in control in our lives - who is it we are relying upon for the answers to our needs? Are we simply living life "keeping our options open" - trusting self more than God? If so, it is time for a "shift" in the 'driver's seat' of our lives! Just sayin!